Article on Batley, my home town

Here is an article about the town I live in. I have[ witnessed with my own eyes the decline in the town and it really is very sad.

What was once a flourishing town full of happy people has become a very dismal and bleak place to live.

What I wouldn't give to have the place as it once was. Life should be getting better, instead it just gets worse.

A town with barely anything but betting shops, pound shops and Indian takeaways. So sad

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&so...44440336437689

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

That's very sad as traditional industries died no one came forward with new ones. This is where having a more realistic benefit system comes in IMO, if everyone genuinely had enough to live a reasonable life style the area could have carried on and eventually made good. But take away the wages and that's pretty much the end of an area.

Round here we've been fairly lucky as we were a dormitory town with local travelling into Guildford and London to work each day, our manufacturing was replaced by office jobs mainly so we soldier on through the changing job market.

There should be plans for areas going forward decades but our planners only look to the next election so a short 4 year plan is all they have ready at any time.

I wonder that no entrepreneurial types haven't looked at areas like Bately and seen the potential in having a work force they could use to make or do something that would make them a million and help the town out of it's demise.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

It's very sad isn't it the way our town centres are becoming ghost towns.
Ours used to be thriving years ago with every Wednesday, Farmers Day with an indoor and outdoor market so busy with at least 40/50 market stalls selling just about anything and everything. One could hardly move it was so busy. Every shop benefited.

Now, shops are boarded up, streets that the council pedestrianised are absolutely deserted, traffic wardens blight the streets, rents and rates are so high, the local shops are closing all the time. Every big name that we had has either gone under or gone to outside of town where parking isn't a problem and rents and rates are more reasonable.

Of course, the web has killed a lot of trade as well, but it is very sad to see only charity shops, travel agents and building societies taking over what were once beautiful little market town shops that many supported.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

That's assuming of course that the increased income is spent locally in shops to boost trade and jobs rather than be frittered away on holidays abroad, booze, cigs and the latest `must-have` electronics which benefit no-one except foreign companies.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

Very apropos. Our town centre is a ghost town even on market day on Thursday. What was once a thriving town centre humming with life is now just a desert of betting and charity shops, minimal parking areas with excessive parking charges to pay for the shortfall in lost business rates from the shops rapidly closing because of swingeing costs and a prevailing air of decay. The only time I venture into town is when my car is in for its service and I trail in on the vastly over-priced bus fared, clapped out Auschwitz style cattle truck joke of a double-decker which should have been scrapped twenty years ago to visit the library and perhaps a sandwich and a cup of coffee at the Merrie England caff.

The few of my fellow travellers who trail despondently through the town look like the cast list of the latest zombie movie with their heads cast down looking at the pavement instead of where they are going. All in all, a town dying on its arse.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

Hi

You are joking of course.

You have stated that you would tax the rich until their pips squeak.

Why on earth should anyone put their money into creating new jobs, with all the risk that is involved only to have it all taxed away from them?

The reason why the new economies are developing so rapidly is very low costs, they can make the same product much cheaper than we can.

The only way we could compete is by slashing wages and costs.

We are simply not productive enough, even the French are more productive overall than we are.

There are exceptions, the Japanese and Indian Car Manufacturers here are very productive, but then they have different methods and a Non Union Workforce.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

Wouldn't need to tax them if they voluntarily helped in fact we could have a system helped them too. You only think within a box swim, try looking outside it occasionally.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

Link did not work Queeny.
But I do know what you mean.
Come and stay with me. xxx
I will take you shopping. xxx

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

Hi

I worked in Batley in 1974.

Batley Carr to be specific.

The Muslims were a nightmare even then.

I was dead chuffed when I was shifted to Cleckheaton.

Re: Article on Batley, my home town

I used to live in Batley too (for about 18 months) - along the Eland Road and the Pub/restaurant down in Batley Park (if its still there) was my 'local'.